riginal reports Survival in Cervical Cancer and Its Predictors at Ocean Road Cancer Institute From January to December 2012

Abstract

Cervical cancer is a major public health problem. With an estimated 570,000 new cases and 314,000 deaths in 2018 worldwide, this disease ranks as the fourth most frequently diagnosed cancer and the fourth cause of cancer deaths among women. The devel oping countries constitute 86% of the newly diagnosed cases and 88% of the deaths. Cervical cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in 28 countries including Tanzania and is the leading cause of cancer deaths in 42 countries, the majority of which are in sub-Saharan Africa again including Tanzania.1 Over the last few decades, cervical cancer incidence and mortality have been declining in developed parts of the world. These declines have been attributed to screening, increasing average level of social eco nomic level, and diminishing risk of high-risk persis tent human papillomavirus infection resulting from improvement in genital hygiene, reduced parity, and diminishing risk of sexually transmitted infections.2 In the absence of effective screening as in sub-Saharan Africa, there has a rapid increase in premature cervical cancer mortality in recent generationThe management of cervical cancer is a major chal lenge in sub-Saharan Africa, and this has resulted in very high mortality rate.4 The 5-year survival rate in sub-Saharan Africa ranges from the highest in Mauritius at 82.1% and lowest in Kampala, Uganda, at 24.0% depending on human development index.5 There is little information on survival of patients with cervical cancer in Tanzania. The aims of this study were to determine the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate and its predictors at Ocean Road Cancer Institute in the period January-December 2012.